The Dolphins’ Saturday roster shuffle brought Kyle Louis back into the mix, and it also set up two familiar weekly moves for Sunday’s game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Louis was activated off injured reserve, putting the rookie safety on track to play for the first time since the knee injury he suffered in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. His status had been moving in the right direction all week, and that culminated with a full practice Friday, even though he still carried a questionable tag on the final injury report.
Miami also elevated edge defender Max Llewellyn and kicker Zane Gonzalez from the practice squad.
Gonzalez’s elevation was the easy call. The Dolphins do not currently have a kicker on the 53-man roster after releasing Riley Patterson on Tuesday, so the need there was obvious.
Llewellyn’s promotion points to more bad luck for Rob Beal Jr., who looks set to miss a fourth straight game because of the hamstring injury he picked up in the Week 2 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Beal was listed as doubtful on the team’s final injury report.
For Llewellyn, the rookie seventh-round pick out of Iowa, it will be his second appearance. His first came in the 35-13 loss at Levi’s Stadium, where he played five snaps.
Louis now gives Miami five safeties on the active roster: Dante Trader Jr., rookie Michael Taaffe, Zayne Anderson, Julius Wood and Louis himself.
Originally a linebacker at the University of Pittsburgh, Louis was moved to safety during training camp. In the best-case scenario, the Dolphins view him as a player who can grow into a useful nickel defender because of his coverage skills. Before the injury, he also had taken on a role as a gunner on punt coverage.
Since he has been out since the opener, the most realistic expectation is that Louis will spend most, if not all, of his work against the Jets on special teams.
He is the third player Miami has designated to return from injured reserve this season, following defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and linebacker Trey Moore. Grant has already made it back to the active roster, while Moore remains on IR after being designated to return on the day of roster cuts so the team could preserve a spot for another player.
Each team can use eight IR designations during the regular season.
Week 2 (at San Francisco) - Edge Clelin Ferrell (2nd), Edge Max Llewellyn (1st)
Week 3 (vs. Kansas City) - Edge Clelin Ferrell (3rd), LB Liam Anderson (1st)
Week 4 (at Minnesota) - DT Mazi Smith (1st), EDGE Rodney McGraw (1st)
Week 5 (vs. Cincinnati) - RB Carlos Washington Jr. (1st), EDGE Rodney McGraw (2nd)
Week 7 (at N.Y. Jets) - EDGE Max Llewellyn (2nd), K Zane Gonzalez (1st)
In Other News...
Dolphins Face An Awkward Kicking Test In Week 7
Miamis kicking carousel has already spun once this season, and it is about to turn again in a place nobody in South Florida wanted it to. Jason Sanders is now lining up for the New York Jets, setting up a Week 7 meeting with the team that moved on from him last offseason after weighing salary demands, injury concerns and inconsistency. Miami has been trying to find stability at the position ever since, even bringing back a previous competitor after recently cutting the replacement it had tried.
Sanders has been steady enough in New York, making 12 of 13 field-goal attempts, though the lone miss came on a 50-plus-yard try and he has also missed an extra point. For the Dolphins, the awkward part is not just seeing a familiar leg on the other sideline, but revisiting a decision that was supposed to solve one problem and instead turned the spotlight back on the most fragile job on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Get An Offensive Boost At The Perfect Time Against Jets
Miamis offense is getting a timely reinforcement for its Week 7 meeting with the Jets, with Caleb Douglas set to return after working fully in practice Friday. The wide receiver had missed the previous three games with an ankle injury, and his availability gives the Dolphins another option as they try to keep the offense moving against a division opponent.
The broader injury picture is trending in the right direction for Miami, too, with Kyle Louis, Jaylen Wright and Will Kacmarek all expected to be available or close to it. On the other side, the Jets have their own uncertainty to sort through, as Breece Hall is listed as questionable with a quad injury, leaving the backfield situation unsettled heading into the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Kicking Situation
The Dolphins made a swift move at kicker after just five games, turning away from Riley Patterson and bringing back Zane Gonzalez to stabilize one of the most finicky spots on the roster. It was a clear sign that Miami had seen enough inconsistency on both field goals and extra points, and that the margin for error at the position had already become too thin for comfort.
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said Gonzalez brings the kind of consistency and experience the Dolphins wanted, pointing to a veteran who has handled pressure across seven NFL seasons and multiple stops before returning to Miami. For a team trying to settle its kicking concerns early, the move suggests the competition at the position is still very much alive, even if the franchise has already drawn a line about what it expects from that job. [Read more 🡒]